Compulsory Self Isolation Period of 14 Days For Every Person Entering Australia

Every person arriving in Australia must self-isolate for 14 days. Credit: Ross Swanborough/The West Australian

All overseas travellers arriving or returning to Australia will be forced to self-isolate for 14-days in the latest measures announced by Scott Morrison to try and slow the spread of the coronavirus.

Cruises ships from foreign ports have also been banned from coming to Australia.

The PM also said there would be "no more handshaking" and that he and his Ministers would be practising the advice.

States and territories are now also looking at introducing legislation that will make it a penalty if someone fails to self-isolate.

The PM announced the latest measures following a meeting with his new national cabinet which includes state premiers.

Mr Morrison also announced there would be "no more handshaking" and that he and his Ministers would be practising this.

The PM said they had decided against closing down schools.

"The advice is this could be a very negative thing... When you take children out of school and put them back in the broader community, the ability for them to potentially engage with others increases that risk," the PM said.

Mr Morrison said the aim of the measures was to protect the most vulnerable and slow the spread of the virus so the health system is not overwhelmed to the point it cannot cope.

"(The virus) cannot be absolutely stopped but we can slow the spread," he said.

He said just because some measures had not been introduced today, did not mean they would not be as more cases.

“There will be more intrusions...there will be more restrictions," he said.

“Australians are smart people, they are common sense people...we rely on their judgement as well."

The compulsory 14 days of isolation for all overseas travellers arriving back to Australia will start from midnight tonight.

Mr Morrison said the cabinet would be doing more of its meetings via video conferencing and their would be less travel for MPs.

He said social distancing practices they were recommendingwere being expanded.

" No more handshakes. That is a new thing we've moved to, something I will be practising... This is not something that was necessarily a key requirement weeks ago," the PM said.

"The cabinet itself will now be meeting more regularly by videoconferencing rather than all cabinet members being in the one place."

SOURCE: The West Australian